The New England Patriots will experience something of a ‘changing of the guard’ on Thursday, as they take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week Eleven.
Actually, it might be more accurate to describe it as a ‘changing of the edge.’
On Wednesday, the Patriots placed linebacker Josh Uche on injured reserve, while removing the designation from edge rusher Chase Winovich.
Uche’s placement on injured reserve means that he will now miss at least three games, before being eligible to return to the lineup. The Michigan product was a surprise addition to Monday’s projected injury report, listed with an ankle injury. Uche had been listed on previous injury reports with both back and shoulder injuries. He also missed the team’s Week Five matchup with the Houston Texans. Uche was not on the team’s final Week Ten injury report and was active on Sunday against the Browns, where he played on 13 defensive snaps and seven snaps on special teams. In eight games this season, Uche recorded three sacks, four quarterback hits and ten tackles as a rotational edge rusher.
Winovich returned to Patriots practice last week, after spending his requisite time on injured reserve. Before hurting his hamstring during the Patriots Week Six loss to the Dallas Cowboys, he compiled seven tackles and one quarterback hit in six games. The 26-year-old has taken only 18.8 percent of New England’s defensive snaps this season, despite playing on 58 percent last season. He did not take a defensive snap for New England in Week Six, playing only eight special teams snaps before suffering his hamstring injury. Still, the Michigan product is one of the Patriots most talented players on the edge. It is expected that he will take Uche’s place as a rotational rusher, perhaps starting on Thursday night against Atlants.
In rounding out their roster adjustments on Wednesday, the Patriots waived wide receiver Malcolm Perry off injured reserve. Perry joined the league as a seventh round draft choice by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Navy. The versatile 24-year-old was claimed by the Patriots prior to the start of the 2021 season, after his release from the Miami Dolphins during roster cut downs. However, Perry would never play a down in New England.
The Patriots and Falcons are set to kickoff at 8:20pm from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia for their Week Eleven matchup on Thursday Night Football.
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